Durban runner Junaid Bhayat has refused to put his body through another beating this year after his brush with death during his first Comrades Marathon last year.
Instead, he will be cheering on his peers from the sidelines next Sunday as they tackle the 87.7km run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
Medical team for race day:
63 nurses
32 ambulance staff
8 advanced life support rapid response vehicle paramedics
8 stadium paramedics
4 motorcycles with EMS practitioners
3 members of the helicopter emergency medical services
2 advanced life support practitioners at the finish line
Source: Netcare
— IN NUMBERS:
The 44-year-old chartered accountant was dangerously dehydrated and barely conscious when he collapsed 150m from the finish line.
He spent a week in ICU. “I’m taking a break this year. Maybe in a year or two I will attempt the race again.”
To avoid a similar incident, Bhayat says runners must execute a proper hydration plan, monitor their vital signs and keep themselves cool.
Runners were shocked by the deaths of athletes Phakamile Ntshiza and Mzameleni Mthembu, both in their 40s, during the race last year.
According to medical statistics provided by the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) at the time, 82 patients were treated in hospital; of those, 28 were referred from the medical facility at the finish, the rest were taken directly from the route and 19 were admitted to hospital, seven into ICU.
CMA race doctor Jeremy Boulter warned athletes not to run if they have been sick two weeks before the race.
He urged those feeling unwell to get clearance from their doctors before running.
“If a person has been sick within two weeks prior to the race, they shouldn’t run.
“I know it’s tremendously difficult because they have trained endlessly and spent a lot of money, but for the state of their health, they must be careful.
“We have had people who took their last antibiotic on the day of the race, which is plain stupid. We rather they be safe than sorry.”
Boulter said the mandatory pre-screening is a new aspect of the Comrades entry process.
It is part of a study by University of Pretoria researchers to determine whether a detailed medical questionnaire is of benefit in reducing the number of serious and life-threatening medical incidents.
“Another big factor is taking painkillers and anti-inflammatories on the route. If you take one during the race it won’t be a train smash, but when you get someone taking a 24-hour maximum dose within six or seven hours, then you are looking for trouble.
“If you take up to six tablets in six hours, and depending on your state of hydration, you are looking at heart, stomach and kidney problems.”
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